Relive it again: Piotr Ogonowski

Experienced project portfolio manager and expert in strategic management during his lecture talked about solutions which combine these two fields – Strategic Projects Offices. We got to know the relation between implementation of the strategy and project portfolio management, and how portfolio management can be a part of the known approaches in strategic management.

At the very beginning Piotr answered the questions for what? why? and how?, and thus he introduced and familiarized the participants to the strategy topic. After a really interesting introduction about the school of strategic management and well-functioning dynamic organization he showed us when we are dealing with the approach and strategy that is immature (lack of environment analysis, wants and wishes, general guidelines rather than goals, lack of operationalization and implementation, lack of strategy revision process). Next, he pointed out what factors should exist so that we could say about the strategies which are highly mature (strong analytical foundations and high quality data, clearly defined objectives, measures and measurement methods, operationalization and selection of resources, functional strategies cascade, smooth implementation, efficient strategy review process).

P. Ogonowski completed his presentation with case studies and practical examples from three large organizations in which strategy can be described as:

• Statistical strategy

• Strategy full of spells

• Disposable, implementing changes tool

On this basis, summing up, we can say that the critical success factors are:

• Awareness of the Board and Director of Strategy

• Assurance of the succession of knowledge about projects if the authorities change after a specified term of office (eg. Welcome Pack for the Board)

• Proper selection of Strategic Projects Managers

• Involvement of HR

• Good incentive systems offer for the Project Managers

And last but not least - building project management culture because culture always wins with strategy! As Peter Ducker said: "Culture eats strategy for breakfast".

Huge thanks to Piotr for full of interesting content presentation and a reference to real cases so that we could easier transfer it onto our realities.